Six Feet Under the Stars
by MountainSounds
Summary: Kíli is not dead, not yet, maybe he won't be for a long time. When Tauriel realizes that the dwarf is still alive, she promises she'll do everything in her power to keep him that way. Alive.
1. Prologue

She lingered over his body for minutes that seemed like hours, but with each passing second the pain she felt only increased, she was clutching his inert hand in her own. If she didn't know that dwarven bones were built to endure many hardships, she would have been afraid of breaking his fingers with the force she was hanging on to them. Her own blood pumping through her veins almost felt like he twitched under her touch. Her heart broke once more when she glanced at him with tear-filled eyes and saw no change in the stillness of his face, the path of the single that left his eye started to freeze in the cold winds that cut harshly through the stone walls. But then she felt the sensation again in her right hand and his glove-clad fingers curled around hers as a moan escaped his mouth with a splatter of blood. She wondered briefly why was fate so cruel to her, giving her hope that he might survive this, which given the circumstances, was quite unlikely.

He was blinking rapidly, trying to take in his surroundings; clearly, he was scouting for possible threats, not like he could do anything in his current state if there were enemies still crawling around Ravenhill. His heartbeat slowed when he realized that no one was coming for him this time, and pain took over his adrenaline induced excitement. He couldn't breathe properly, only small puffs of air could enter him, one at a time, the goblin's blade must have made very close, if not direct contact with his lungs. In his mind he replayed most of the events that led to that filthy beast stabbing him, he remembered how Fíli fell into his doom and how anger took over his whole being after seeing his brother's fall. Then he remembered her; how fiercely she was trying to protect his life and how she failed to do so this time. The fact that he was lying on the snow covered ground was not her fault, not in the slightest, he acted on his raw emotions, couldn't help it, and it got him into trouble. He hoped that she was okay, he hoped that the battle was over and she was already on her way back to relative safety of the wood-elves's kingdom with hundreds of others of her kin who would protect her even if she would say that she can do fine on her own.

That was when it registered that his hand involuntarily clenched around something, something soft and delicate. Kíli winced as he tried to lift his head to look at the thing he was holding onto. He felt a slight push on his forehead as another soft thing kept his head in place and prevented him from moving further.

"Don't move, I'm going to get you help, I promise, _meleth nîn_," she was whispering although she wasn't sure why and also couldn't keep her voice from trembling, but it was still the most beautiful sound to his ears.

She didn't know how exactly would she get him help, but now she was desperately holding on to the thought of him surviving. She would have to get him down to the ruins of Dale, where the elves made camp, and find a healer who was willing to aid a dwarf. The elvenking and his son had long since left the hill, even though she was sure they wouldn't have been much of help in this matter. She tried to lift his body carefully but the pain in his chest was overwhelming, even with the slightest of movement he groaned and slowly started to drift into unconsciousness as her hands curled around him and he left the ground. She's strong but his almost lifeless body is a heavy burden on the icy steps of Ravenhill. Elves usually move gracefully with their feet barely touching the ground, but now the sight of her stumbling on the hill, trying gravely not to fall, was anything but graceful. Holding him and keep his chest wound untouched was quite the struggle, he already lost a great deal of blood and she felt it dripping down her hands.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the little hobbit leaning over someone's stretched out figure, she couldn't afford to stop and help them, despite that being her fist instinct, slight guilt lingered in her but that quickly disappeared when she heard Kíli's agonizing moans as he drifted in and out of consciousness in her arms. The dwarf was her number one priority, but she made a mental note to send somebody to the aid of the Halfling and whoever he was tending.

"Stay with me, Kíli. Don't close your eyes, just hang on for a little while," she was trying to keep him awake with her words but forming coherent sentences wasn't the easiest task when all she wanted to was letting the tears fall. "You'll live to see a thousand fire moons."

She eventually made it to the ruins of Dale where hundreds of men and elves were running around the tents, some with wounds, some helping the wounded. She screamed for help but as she previously thought so, her kin was reluctant to help a dwarf when so many of their own were in need of medical attention. She found a young maid who seemed less busy than her fellow healers, she tried to pretend that she didn't notice them when she saw that Tauriel was holding a dwarf, she failed to get away before they were by her side and asking for help. Tauriel partly wished she was still a captain of the elven guard, she could've used her prestige to convince the healer to try to save Kíli's life. She knew that word travels fast between elves and she didn't know if the healer was aware of the fact that the Elf-king himself had banished her from Mirkwood, which would further worsen their situation. But the healer, who she presumed to be younger than her, saw the desperation in her eyes and gestured towards a bigger tent where several beddings were set up, nearly all of them occupied by grunting and groaning elves. The other healers hadn't even notice that a dwarf was now lying in their medical quarters as they were engaged, each with their own patients.

The blonde haired healer opened up Kíli's robe and Tauriel swore she saw her cringing at the sight of his wound, almost perfectly in the middle of his hairy chest. She then got up from where he was lying and for a moment Tauriel thought she would leave them because he couldn't be saved, but she was back a few seconds later with various plants and potions she couldn't name.

"I must say, I am not very optimistic about his conditions, this wound is very severe, I am sure you can tell that by yourself, but I promise I will do everything to save this dwarf. I see he is important to you." She suddenly said, Tauriel didn't know how to react at first, mostly because of the first part but her remark at the end also made it difficult to form an appropriate response.

"Thank you."


	2. Chapter I

The healer placed her hands on his chest and gently run them over his ribs, trying to find out if he had any broken ribs. She also moved her head closer and concentrated on the smell around him, she soon backed away as the traces of poison hit her sensitive nostrils.

"How was he injured?" She asked, she could feel the broken ribs, the odor the goblin left behind and the blackening, swollen edges of his wound already indicated what did this to him but she still inquired.

"Orc filth," was all she replied.

A bowl filled with hot, almost burning water was placed conveniently besides each bedding to further facilitate the medics' work. Leaves of the well-known _athelas_ were also scattered around the tent and their scent lingered in the air.

Tauriel watched as the healer began to prepare a mixture of oils and herbs between her palms. She started cleaning the wound in the middle of his chest with the boiling water. Kíli's body reacted instantly, his blood was tainted black from the poison that probably did enough damage already and it started flowing out him uncontrollably. The healer used a piece of cloth to clean up the gushing liquid with one hand, the other was massaging the remedial batter into his skin. Tauriel wanted to help her, she wanted to be useful, but she knew well enough that the extent of his injury was beyond her healing skills, yet feeling helpless just added to her ongoing misery.

She didn't know what to do with herself, she always hated situations where she was just an observer. So she started humming, an old and ancient song that Elf-wives used to sing in time of war, a staunching song. She didn't really remember the words and the melody lived faintly in the memories of her childhood, but these songs were said to have good effect on the wounded, though not many could use these powers.

Her eyes widened when his blood slowly stopped pouring out of him and the healer quickly wiped of the remnants off of his body before the chilling air could've reached and frozen it.

"Your song worked," the healer exclaimed, the tones of her voice gave away that she was surprised.

The fire used to boil the water radiated off some heat into the tent but nevertheless was the harsh weather creeping under its thin fabric. Elves weren't as sensitive to the vicissitudes of the elements as other species, yet all of them were occasionally shuddering. It didn't help that Kíli's bedding was right beside the opening of the tent. Tauriel thought that at least she would be able to get him out quickly if something were to happen.

The healer then pointed to the needle-like objects beside Tauriel and she handed them to her after hesitating just for a second. His wound was too big to agglutinate on its own. She wasn't exactly sure when he lost his consciousness; hopefully he didn't feel anything from the process this way. The younger elf applied a fiber of thread to the pointy object and worked it through his skin with ease. The dwarf was still in a bad shape, but at least a hole wasn't gaping in his chest anymore. The healer washed his torso once again before bandaging him, she required Tauriel's help with that, she couldn't lift his body and wrap a piece of cloth around it at once, so the redhead gently placed her arms behind his back and lifted him from the mattress.

"_I dass carnen_?" She asked in their native tongue.

"_Goheno nin_, I'm afraid I cannot do much more for him, it is up to him now, the wound is cleaned and the herbal remedies should ease his pain if and when he wakes up…"

"Thank you, I will be forever in your debt."

"It is my job," she said, her eyes avoiding Tauriel's on purpose. "Do not expect him to wake up soon and to be honest; I think that is better for him in every way, I not sure if one could endure such pain. Do you yourself need assistance?"

"No, I'm going to be fine," she answered. "Can he stay here?" She inquired quickly when the healer started to move towards the exit. It was no doubt that the other elven healers would notice him sooner or later and Tauriel wanted to avoid more trouble if possible.

"I'm not sure for how long, but for now, he can. King Thranduil is sending carriers from Mirkwood for the injured and then we will leave. He does not want Elves around the mountain longer than necessary. I will notice you if any inconvenience comes up and he has to be moved."

* * *

><p>Tauriel didn't recall the last time she let her body go to sleep, as it is with Elves, sleep was hardly ever needed, only in times when they were extremely exhausted. Now she let her head fall down onto the edge of Kíli's bedding and eyes close while her hand wandered under the covers that shielded him from the cold and she laced her fingers between his. She didn't allow herself to let her guard down fully, she never did, but after the events of the past days and weeks it was easy for her mind to let go and let darkness conjure her thoughts.<p>

That was until she heard shouting from outside. The source of the yelling was moving closer and closer to their tent. She straightened immediately and pulled her hands to grip the daggers and her side. The other Elves in the tent also turned to face to entrance, not quite sure what to expect.

Their eyes widened when a very worn and rugged Dwarf entered the tent in a rush, he looked a little lost as his head was moving around rapidly, scanning each bedding. He had bushy eyebrows but even those couldn't hide the overwrought expression. Like Kíli, he was also quite tall for a Dwarf, but was visibly older than him. Thick hair circled around the bald top of his head and the Elves couldn't tell where his hair ended and beard began.

"Kíli…" he whispered when he noticed the young Dwarf and hurried to his side. He knelt beside him while examining him carefully. Concern was written all over his face while his hands hovered over Kíli's wounded chest, he pondered whether to look under the bandage but eventually decided against it.

From this close, Tauriel recognized him. He was a part of Thorin Oakenshield's company and had seen the inside walls of Thranduil's dungeons after they found and saved them in the woods. The bald dwarf looked up to Tauriel and a little frown replaced the disturbed look on his face, he seemed to remember her, too.

She started back at him questioningly until he spoke, "I followed you from Ravehill, I saw you helping him, lass, why did you do that?"

"Because he would have done the same," his features softened slightly at her reply but now he just looked confused. "What happened to the others?"

"Why do you care?" Dwalin hissed, but then he looked away from her eyes, almost ashamed. He thought about how this Elf saved Kíli and put aside his prejudices. "They didn't make it…Azog killed both Thorin and Fíli. They couldn't be saved. Bilbo tried really hard to keep Thorin alive but that scum did more than enough damage. He couldn't do anything but to stay there with him. Fíli… nobody could've survived that fall and that stab," he chuckled and sighed heavily. "I can't imagine how Kíli's going to feel when he wakes up."

They sat in silence for a while until the older Dwarf spoke again, "I don't think he's safe here, I appreciate what you did for him, but I want to take him back to his people where he belongs, to Erebor."

"He's in no shape to travel. I do not mean to offend your healers, but he needs elven medicine, the healing process will be long and he needs proper assistance," she wasn't sure how to phrase what she wanted to say next so she just simply blurted it out, "I go where he goes."

The older dwarf was visibly confused by the elf's words, she already did more than he ever expected from an Elf. He didn't quite understand why she was willing to leave her people behind to further aid a certain dwarf, but he reluctantly nodded. How he's going to explain this to the Company, he didn't know.

"I suggest we wait until sunlight and depart only then," Tauriel felt the atmosphere tense even more, they were no longer welcome now that the medics realized that their resources were used on a Dwarf. She wanted to delay moving him as much as possible, but the Dwalin's arrival certainly changed her plans. Although I do not know how you plan on carrying him."

"Leave that to me, lass."

* * *

><p>He wasn't back until the first lights of dawn shone upon the elven camp and just like when he first arrived, loud noises made his presence known long before he stepped into the tent again. While he was gone, Tauriel filled a small pouch with the remaining medicine and other things he would need to fully recover.<p>

"I found a solution to our logistical problems." Dwalin said, but by the way his mouth twitched and eyes twinkled Tauriel could tell that he didn't accidentally 'found' something, but rather borrowed it from someone indefinitely and probably without consent.

Tauriel was quite surprised when she saw that the Dwarf managed to get a horse and a carriage. It didn't look very promising, some parts were broken and clearly it was heavily used before. She could only hope that it would endure the weight of the two Dwarves. Together they easily moved Kíli's still body into the carriage. The wounded Dwarf was wrapped in layers and layers of blankets even though it wasn't a long ride until The Lonely Mountain. The weather didn't improve when the Sun came up, in fact, it was barely visible behind the thick sheet of grey clouds which merged with the fog that crawled on the ground.

Dwalin stayed behind with him for obvious reasons while Tauriel mounted the horse. It wasn't easy maneuvering the carriage through the camp then out of the ruins of Dale, nor through what remained of the battlefield. The wheels creaked when they floundered over dead bodies they couldn't go around. The frozen ground was equally filled with corpses of Dwarves, Elves, Men and Orcs. They could see figures of guards and ordinary people in the distance wandering around, bending low into the fog to make sure that life undoubtedly left the bodies.

"What will become of Erebor now, if you don't mind me asking, Master Dwarf."

He grumbled, "I can't say for certain. Kíli's the only surviving heir of Durin, the throne belongs to him now," he paused for a bit, not really knowing how much he should share with an Elf about the politics. "He won't be fit for a long time, I assume Dáin will take over now, permanently or temporally, I don't know, but we need a strong leader in these grim times, there's a lot of work to do."

The rest of the journey passed in silence. She occasionally turned back to check on her Dwarven companions. As the mountain grew bigger and bigger in front of them, her heart started beating heavier, she knew there was a lot of explaining to do once they arrived and she was making up possible dialogues in her head, figuring out how she would answer to different queries. As they drew closer, the short but heavily armored silhouettes of the Iron Hills' Dwarves appeared near the foot of the mountain, guarding the gate that towered over them. One of them was started walking towards them and pulled his weapon in front of him when he noticed that the slender figure on horseback was indeed an Elf.

* * *

><p><em>I dass carnen?<em> - Is it done?

_Goheno nin_ - I'm sorry.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I'm terrible at updates, I know, there is just a lot ideas floating around in my head for this story and I just can't seem to grasp them and write them down in a proper form so they're not as jumbled as they are in my head. I also don't want to write chapters under 2000 words, that just seems wrong so it takes a lot of time and struggle for me to produce something bearable. I plan to update more regularly now that my finals are over.


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